Top 10 Worst Facebook Faux Pas, Part 2

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In Part 1, we discussed the importance of maintaining an active Facebook feed, how to respond to negative comments, how to provide opportunities for interaction with customers and more. This time, it's all about creating smart, engaging posts and ensuring that you're making the most of your Facebook marketing efforts.

1. Not Integrating Your Facebook Page with Other Marketing Efforts

Your Facebook page should not be the end goal for customers. You always want customers to continue exploring, to click through, to remain engaged. Your Facebook marketing should provide multiple opportunities to visit your website, sign up for your email marketing newsletters or text message campaigns, follow your business on Twitter and so on. It's simple to stick in links that lead to relevant pages on your website, and it's also simple to place signup forms on your Facebook page. Your marketing efforts should all tie in together.

2. Not Using Images

This is a big one. Studies have shown that people are much more interested in content that includes images and they will be more likely to share and like posts that have images. You can post pictures of your staff or events you have participated in, infographics that your business has created or that are relevant to your industry, video tutorials and more. Pictures help grab visitors' attention and keep them engaged longer than text alone.

3. Not Posting Anything Fun

People come to your Facebook page not just to learn about your company, but also to be entertained. Posting interesting, funny and personal messages show that your business is comprised of real people and these messages are very engaging to your audience. Some examples would be a corny joke, a picture of staff members doing something silly or participating in a community event, a story about the early struggles of your business, relevant memes or gifs and so on. Making a visitor smile is a good way to get a like or a share.

4. Looking Sloppy

Facebook, in most cases, is more casual than other forms of marketing but your messages and pictures should still be professional and well-edited. Ensure that your profile picture and cover photo are properly sized and display correctly in thumbnail images. Check your posts for spelling and grammar errors before scheduling them. Don't post inappropriate or questionable pictures or messages. And always ensure that you are complying with Facebook's terms of use for businesses. In short, maintain the professional face of your business, yet do so in a friendly, accessible manner that works for social media.

5. Not Analyzing Your Facebook Marketing

Any automated Facebook solution that's worth its salt will provide detailed reports that you can review to see how your audience is interacting with your messages. You should analyze these reports on a regular basis in order to see which posts received the most likes and shares so you can learn what your audience likes. You can use this information to create more optimized posts in the future so you gain more interaction.